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CoTH Article About Arabians in Dressage???? UPDATE!! FOUND IT! PG 2

Finally I have a reason to post on the Dressage Forum!!

A few weeks ago I was browsing through the CoTH articles on the Home Page, and I came across a great article about "Why aren't there more Arabs in Dressage?", or something like that. It was a fantastic article about how the authors first horse was an Arab mare and everything they did together, then branched into modern day dressage. Can anyone locate the link for this? I searched for about 20 minutes last night and finally gave up.

I think there are more Arabians in dressage than people think, the HA tend to show open under their other half - sad but true. My friend has a gorgeous Donnersclag (I know I'm butchering his name,sorry) gelding that shows PSG as an Oldenburg and his dam is a purebred polish Arabian. And there are many others doing the same thing.

Meaning they show as: Oldenburg, American Warmblood, TB cross or Anglo, pony, etc. I have a very good friend that shows her gelding as a QH cross and he's registered HA. And I actually have to choose when I show my filly because USDF only awards for 1 breed - so I have to choose Hanoverian or HA. I will definitely be showing her as a Hanoverian at USDF shows as she carries the brand.

Just saying that many Arabian bred horses are out there showing, their owners for whatever reason choose to not reveal it.

I show my purebred Arab in both Open and breed shows. The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show has increased its dressage numbers steadily over the years and I think it is a good general indicator of the interest. There are fewer purebred's at the open shows here, but in AZ we have so many "A" breed shows that people may not feel compelled to venture outside. As far as the halfs, I don't feel their owners are hiding behind a different registry. It just makes more sense to be identified by a singular registry rather than falling under the umbrella of Half.

Wow! I would love to read the article too..... I have a Half Arab and dream of showing her in dressage in the Scottsdale Arabian Show someday...... When I first got to AZ in the early 1980's it seemed that the majority of horses I saw in dressage were Arabs.....and they were beautiful!!!!!

We do not have an overpopulation of dogs, we have an under population of responsible dog owners!!!

Meaning they show as: Oldenburg, American Warmblood, TB cross or Anglo, pony, etc. I have a very good friend that shows her gelding as a QH cross and he's registered HA. And I actually have to choose when I show my filly because USDF only awards for 1 breed - so I have to choose Hanoverian or HA. I will definitely be showing her as a Hanoverian at USDF shows as she carries the brand.

Just saying that many Arabian bred horses are out there showing, their owners for whatever reason choose to not reveal it.

Yup. I show my Araloosa as an Appaloosa, since he has regular papers (he's all characteristics and color). And let me be honest and purely selfish: I nominated him to USDF as an Appaloosa, because there are a lot more half-Arabians - WB crosses like yours and the like - and fewer Appaloosas showing dressage. ;o) Add to that, my guy makes for a great guessing game at shows: Few people guess that he is half-Arabian. He has a refined, but not particularly "Arabian" head, and he's 16.2, so most people guess he's a TB, Hano or Trakhener cross (I tell them they are "close" when they guess Trakhener.) But on the other hand, I don't mind telling people he's half-Arabian and, indeed, his sire was one of the few Trakhener approved Arabians in the U.S.

All of the Sport Horse classes at Arabian shows are judged by open Dressage or Hunter judges. I just showed my Escudo II filly at her first Arabian show yesterday and she took the Res. Championship In Hand. She had the highest scores for gaits of all the horses shown. She was a little too frisky (pouring down rain & hail) and got dinged pretty good on the manners score which dropped her down - oh well, Babies what do you do?

So my point is, being half WB or TB really helps you in the Sport Horse classes as they are more they type of horse that the judges are used to judging. They tend to score higher than the PB's.

There is no stigma, an athlete is an athlete

If I take my athlete to a show, and we do well, then that is what counts. Unfortunately, at this point in time, high scoring Arabian = saddlleseat, and my horses are not that. Money has talked too long here.

I'm part of the new direction of Arabian horses. I ride them because I love them, as they are fun, bright and spirited. They don't hit their jaw at the trot nor are their tails dragging the ground. The old Arabian world values this type of horse. Go check out Scottsdale for a breed in transition. You'll see both.

We hunter pace, jump and do dressage. We don't do saddleseat nor halter.

Originally Posted by copper1

sad that the breed has such a stigma against it as a using horse that owners that show open do not want to claim it's heritage.

No, trust me, if you do dressage they will be looking for dressage, not breed characteristics. Same with hunters - they will look for a hunter. Do you think they might look harder for improper behaviour or what?

sad that the breed has such a stigma against it as a using horse that owners that show open do not want to claim it's heritage.

I show an Arabian in dressage. He is purebred with a head that is unmistakably typey. But he's nicely put together and I get a lot of compliments on him. I honestly think any stigma exists mostly in the owners' heads.

__________________________ "... if you think i'm MAD, today, of all days,
the best day in ten years,
you are SORELY MISTAKEN, MY LITTLE ANCHOVY."

I show an Arabian in dressage. He is purebred with a head that is unmistakably typey. But he's nicely put together and I get a lot of compliments on him. I honestly think any stigma exists mostly in the owners' heads.

So true.

It is not about trying to ride something that "looks" like a warmblood for me... It is about trying to ride something that is obviously their own breed well enough for it to matter very little what breed it was in the first place